


sunshine and flowers

by zukkastribe (huffinglepuff)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff without Plot, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Small Quantities of Pining, Swearing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, there isn't much to tag tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-20
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-29 03:14:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30149889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/huffinglepuff/pseuds/zukkastribe
Summary: Sokka had had a massive grin on his face, and the next thing Zuko knew, Sokka's arms were wrapped around his waist, his helmet digging uncomfortably into Zuko's neck. Sokka let go before Zuko could even think to reciprocate, his face hot beneath his own helmet and scar uncomfortably itchy.Or, 5 times Sokka hugged Zuko, and 1 time Zuko hugged Sokka
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 134





	sunshine and flowers

**Author's Note:**

> this is just me procrastinating writing my other zukka WIPs
> 
> i don't know why the POV switches to Sokka in the +1, just roll with it

**1.**

The first time Sokka hugged Zuko was at the Boiling Rock.

Zuko had been channelling his inner Uncle—he thought the Silver Sandwich really  _ did _ have some merit to it, even if he'd worded it badly—when Sokka had interrupted his thoughts with "it's Suki!" 

Sokka had had a massive grin on his face, and the next thing Zuko knew, Sokka's arms were wrapped around his waist, his helmet digging uncomfortably into Zuko's neck. Sokka let go before Zuko could even think to reciprocate, his face hot beneath his own helmet and scar uncomfortably itchy. 

Sokka rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about that. I just—"

"It's okay," Zuko quickly said. "It was…nice."

Sokka snorted. "What were you saying about that 'silver sandwich?'"

"I doubt even Agni knows."

**2.**

Zuko didn't really get a chance to consider the hug. Why would he even consider it? It was just that—a hug. No reason to think about how nice it had been. How long it had been since  _ anyone _ had hugged him.

Once they were once again safe, though, he was reminded of it whenever he saw Sokka. When he came to see Zuko and Aang train, when they sparred, when they ate dinner. Toph had sent him more than one weird look—likely at the speed of his heartbeat—but thankfully, she'd never brought it up.

Perhaps it was for the best, but Sokka didn't hug Zuko again. Azula attacked them, Katara went on her mission, they watched an _awful_ play. Zuko spent a lot more time than he should have watching Sokka, trying to gauge if he would hug him again. At this point, he'd built it up quite a bit; spent a lot of time daydreaming about what it would be like, should it happen again. He was too much of a coward to initiate anything, though. 

At Sozin's comet, Zuko thought it might happen again, for a split second. He'd felt his heart rate spike as Sokka's gaze lingered on his face, those blue eyes searching; but then he'd just said "look after each other."

He'd almost beaten his sister, taken the lightning bolt for Katara. 

Failed to redirect it. 

_ She's got her wish to be an only child after all, _ Zuko thought, pain radiating through his chest. Each rattling breath burned, his pulse slowing from an adrenaline–fuelled drum to a soft patter, each slower than the last. 

Everyone says that your life flashes before your eyes, when you're about to die. All Zuko could think about is Sokka; the shade of his eyes, smattering of freckles on his nose, the small scar on his forehead. How his arms felt around Zuko's waist.

How his lips might have felt on Zuko's.

_ Great time to find out about a crush. _

Then, soothing coolness on his chest; Katara's voice; shouting. Then, a pair of strong arms around him, a familiar wolf tail in his face.

"I can't believe you let Azula  _ shoot _ you! What were you  _ thinking!" _ Sokka shouted.

"I wouldn't call it  _ thinking…"  _ Zuko murmured, blinking blearily at Sokka's blurry face. 

"He was saving me," Katara said. "Anyway, Zuko isn't the  _ only  _ one who's injured."

"What? Who else?" Zuko said, heart pounding as he struggled upright, red tingeing his vision as pain coursed through his body.

"I kinda broke my leg." Sokka said, flushing.

_ "How?" _

"Fell off a war balloon…" Sokka muttered.

"And  _ I'm  _ the idiot."

**3.**

After a  _ lot _ of deliberation, Zuko finally decided what to get Sokka for his birthday. 

Sokka had been indispensable as an ambassador; always knowing what to say, how to diffuse the arguments in meetings, when to fight and when to compromise. 

He'd also looked after Zuko. During the first month, Sokka had gone to the Southern Water Tribe, to help rebuild. Zuko had encouraged him—he'd also encouraged Uncle to go to Ba Sing Se, to retire in his tea shop. After supervising Zuko for a week, he'd agreed to leave, seeing how well Zuko handled the ending of the war. 

Zuko insisted to everyone—including himself—that he was fine, alone. He attended meetings; he sent letters to his friends; he spent long nights drawing up plans for the education system, the redistribution of funds, the war reparations.

So what if he missed a meal or two? If sometimes, he was awake until he felt the sun rise? If he coloured in the dark bruises under his eyes with face paint?

It was  _ fine— _ everything was going great, the Fire Nation was negotiating peace treaties, and the amount of attempted assassinations per week was decreasing. 

Maybe if he told himself that enough, Zuko thought, it would come true. Everything really  _ would  _ be fine.

But when he collapsed in the middle of a meeting and ended up in the infirmary for three days, he'd been forced to admit that he did, perhaps, need a touch of help. Just a little.

He hadn't said anything, but apparently, one of his servants had, because the day he was released (after much complaining, and failing to use his title of Fire Lord to get out—honestly, what's the point of being Fire Lord if you can't use the title to get your way?), Sokka arrived as the ambassador for the Southern Water Tribe.

That was his official title, but apparently his job description also included making sure Zuko ate, drank, slept, and was generally healthy enough to be Fire Lord.

Zuko owed him an unpayable debt, which meant he  _ had _ to get him the perfect birthday present.

It took him a while, but he finally thought of it when he was sparring with Sokka. He was good— _ very _ good—but Zuko could tell with the way he held himself, how his weight didn't quite shift in time with his strikes, that he missed his space sword.

So, Zuko went into the woods, and looked for the space sword.

And then when that proved futile, he went to Master Piandao, and forged one with the same meteorite and mould Sokka had used.

Sokka unwrapped the parcel with vigour, his eyes bright even as he said "you really didn't have to, you know—"

"Sokka, shut up. What's the point of having money if I can't spoil my favourite ambassador?"

"You make me sound like your trophy wife."

"What do you not understand about  _ shut up?" _

"That's no way to talk to the Fire Lady," Sokka said, his fingers wrapping around the handle of the sword. "Is this…?"

"Why don't you look? It might just be tea."

Sokka ripped the rest of the wrapping from the sheathed sword, and pulled it out slowly so he could see the blade, his mouth falling open. He traced its shiny surface, almost reverently.

"Is it okay?" Zuko asked hesitantly.  _ Shit, he hadn't even asked if Sokka  _ wanted _ a new sword! He might just have misread how Sokka was moving, he didn't— _

"It— _ it's space sword!  _ How did you find it?"

"Well, actually, I couldn't find it, so I went to Piandao and—"

_ "You forged me a space sword?" _

"I—yeah, I guess I did."

Zuko looked up, only to find himself with an armful of Sokka. He slowly brought his arms up, pressing his hands flush against Sokka's back.

Sokka pulled back, his hands still on Zuko's waist. "Thank you."

Zuko smiled, feeling his face grow warm. "Anytime. And happy birthday."

They stood there for perhaps slightly longer than was necessary, before Sokka coughed and said something about wanting to try it out, and there was  _ no way _ Zuko could beat him with a  _ space sword. _

And, well, Zuko couldn't let Sokka be  _ right. _

**4.**

Zuko awoke with a start. 

He couldn't remember what, exactly, his dream was about, but his heart was racing, sweat beading on his skin and breath coming in short, sharp breaths. The main thing he could remember was screaming, and fire—but neither were his own. He could still hear the screams echoing in his head, even as he slowly stopped shaking, and—

_ It wasn't in his head. _

Someone  _ was _ screaming, in one of the nearby rooms, and where the  _ fuck _ were the guards? It sounded like someone was being  _ murdered. _

Zuko lit a small fire over his palm, the marble floor of his quarters cold on his feet. He followed his ears, moving swiftly. The guards outside his room looked slightly surprised to see him up, but weren't moving from their posts.

Zuko didn't have to go far to find the source of the screaming. Sokka's rooms were situated near his own—the other ambassadors had their own wing, but Zuko insisted his friends stay in the wing intended for the royal family. They were his family, now.

He opened the door, and rushed over to Sokka, grabbing his arm. 

"Sokka.  _ Sokka. Wake up." _

Sokka's eyes flew open, piercingly blue in the moonlight. "Zuko," he breathed. "What are you—why are you—"

"I could hear you in my rooms. What—what were you dreaming about?"

Sokka's eyes shut for a moment. Zuko, suddenly aware of the awkward position he was sitting in, sat on the side of Sokka's bed.

"Can you…" Sokka trailed off, shuffling sideways and patting the bed.

"I—you want—"

Sokka blushed. "Sorry, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable—"

"No.  _ No, _ I wouldn't be uncomfortable—"

"Don't—"

Zuko swung his legs onto the bed and sunk down until he was lying on his side, watching Sokka. "I'm not uncomfortable."

Sokka smiled weakly. "It's a comfortable bed."

"Only the best for my favourite ambassador."

Sokka's smile sliding off his face. "I was dreaming about Sozin's comet—sort of. I was at the Agni Kai between you and Azula, and she shot lightning at me, and you jumped in front of it like the self–sacrificing  _ idiot _ you are, and Katara wasn't anywhere near, and Azula was completely off her nut, shooting lightning, and I felt so  _ useless,  _ and—and I felt—"

"Shh, I'm here." Zuko reached out with a tentative hand, wiping away a tear that was rolling down his cheek. "Azula's getting better. She's not here. We  _ won." _

Sokka stared at him, his lower lip quivering. "I felt your heart  _ stop." _

_ Oh. _

Zuko caught Sokka's hand, which had been twisting itself into the duvet, and laid it on his chest. "You feel that?"

Sokka nodded.

"I'm alive. We  _ both _ are."

Sokka nodded again, his hand shaking against Zuko's chest.

They lay like that for a while, until Sokka's breathing slowed, his hand grew steady.

"Do you mind if I—"

"Not at all," Zuko quickly said. Whatever Sokka needed, Zuko would give.

Sokka grabbed Zuko's shoulder and spun him so he was facing away from him, and pulled him flush against him.

"Sorry, I just—it's easier to remember when—"

"Sokka, you don't need to explain yourself." Zuko laced his fingers through Sokka's. "I get it."

Zuko felt Sokka's shift, until his nose was buried in Zuko's hair. "Thank you. For…for everything."

Zuko fell asleep before he could think of a response, and for the first time in years, slept in after the sun rose.

**5.**

"Zuko, this will be your  _ third night _ of not sleeping."

Zuko frowned. Sure, the papers in front of his face were a  _ little _ blurry, but it couldn't have been  _ that _ long, right?

"It  _ can _ be that long, because that's how long  _ I've _ been awake!"

Huh. Zuko must have said that out loud.

"You did. Now come on, let me, a hallucination, drag you to bed."

"Hallucination Sokka would never do this to me." Zuko pointed out. "He always says I'm right."

"Hallucination Sokka has clearly been drinking cactus juice. Now  _ bed." _

Zuko groaned and looked up at Sokka with wide eyes, which  _ usually  _ worked.

"Nuh uh. That's not working this time." Sokka grabbed Zuko and hauled him over his shoulder. "You are going to  _ bed." _

"At least take me to dinner first."

Sokka snorted and shifted Zuko slightly. "Maybe tomorrow, buddy."

"Buddy? You're taking me to  _ bed." _

"Honey? Dearest? Sweetheart?"

"Any of those are more acceptable than  _ buddy." _

"You really are sleep deprived, aren't you?"

"Nope. Completely coherent sentences right here."

"You slurred all of that. I think that's the opposite of coherent,  _ sweetheart." _

Zuko felt his face grow warm. Perhaps it was a good thing Sokka couldn't see his face—it really wouldn't do to let him know just how much Zuko enjoyed hearing Sokka call him 'sweetheart'.

"Y'know, it kinda defeats the purpose of my not being able to see your face if you voice all your thoughts."

_ Fuck. _

"You probably won't remember this in the morning, if that helps."

Zuko yawned. "I guess it does, a bit.  _ Darling." _

Sokka choked slightly.

"You like that?"

"N–no."

"Very convincing, darling." Zuko patted Sokka's back.

Sokka marched into Zuko's bedroom, unceremoniously dumping him on the bed.  _ "Bedtime." _

"Sokka, I'm in charge of a country."

"Which makes sleep that much more important."

Sokka watched Zuko get under the covers with narrowed eyes, before turning to leave.

"All this fuss and you're going to  _ leave?" _ Zuko whined. He'd really lost all dignity at this point; and in any case, it was  _ Sokka. _ Worst he could do is tell Toph.

Sokka slowly turned around. "You want me to stay?"

Zuko shrugged in the fakest act of nonchalance he'd ever done. "If you want."

Sokka huffed and watched him for a moment, before climbing into Zuko's bed. "You've really kept the best bed in the palace for yourself, huh?"

"It's from the exact same person as yours is."

"But mine doesn't have  _ you  _ in it, sweetheart."

Zuko hummed. "I don't know, it usually has you in it, though.  _ Darling." _

"We really need to sleep."

"If you insist. G'night, Sokka."

"Goodnight, Zuko."

Zuko woke up much warmer than usual. Sunlight was streaming through the open curtains, and Sokka had managed to drape three limbs over Zuko's body. Zuko used his limited range of motion to look at Sokka's face, skin glowing under the light of the sun. He was beautiful. 

Zuko had tried not to wake Sokka, but his eyes fluttered open anyway. 

"Mornin', Sunshine."

Zuko smiled for a moment, before he realised that  _ right,  _ he was supposed to reply, not just stare at his best friend. "You owe me dinner."

"Tonight work for you?"

Zuko felt a bolt of terror. He already had five meetings today—and one of them was with Ambassador Chen, from the Earth Kingdom, who always had way too many questions. 

"Chill, Zuko. I manage your schedule, remember?"

"You don't  _ manage my schedule—" _

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Tonight works for you."

Zuko sighed dramatically. "If you say so."

A soft smile settled on Sokka's face. Zuko thought that he could stare at it forever.

**\+ 1**

"Sokka."

"Yeah?"

"I need a break."

Sokka stared at Zuko. He'd had to drag Zuko away from his meeting, and sat him on the grass next to the turtleduck pond with a picnic. Sure, Zuko was feeding most of his food to the little family sat next to his leg, but to see the way his features softened, the stress  _ melted _ from his face—Sokka would fetch him as much food as he wanted. 

"What do you mean, exactly, by a 'break'?"

"Like…a day off. Away. Not in the palace."

"Well, what's keeping you?"

Zuko's head turned suddenly, his eyes wide. "What?"

"I mean, what's stopping you? You're the  _ Fire Lord. _ Most powerful guy in the Nation. Just…go."

"Sokka, I have  _ meetings—" _

"Meng!"

"Yes, Sir?" Meng appeared from just inside the doors of the palace. 

"Could you get all of Zuko's meetings for the day cancelled? Or postponed 'til tomorrow?"

"I don't see why not, Sir."

Sokka grinned. "Excellent." 

Zuko looked between Sokka, who knew he looked excessively smug, and Meng, whose lips were twitching. Sokka raised his eyebrows, and Zuko deflated with a sigh. "Go ahead."

Meng let a quiet chuckle before hurrying away. 

"So, what do you want to do?" Sokka asked.

"Have a nap?"

"Really? I free up your  _ entire day _ and the first thing you want to do is  _ sleep?" _

"Is this a ploy to get me to buy you stuff?"

Sokka clutched at his chest, falling backwards in mock horror. "I would  _ never." _

"So you'd rather play Pai Sho and drink tea with me than go shopping?"

"I didn't say that!"

Zuko laughed, his face lighting up. "Okay, I'm going to go get dressed, then we can go shopping."

"You'd probably get more free stuff in your Fire Lord robes, you know."

"Sokka, I'm the  _ Fire Lord.  _ I can afford the stuff. Not to mention, spending money is good for the economy."

_"You_ know about the _economy?"_ Sokka raised an eyebrow.

_ "Yes!" _

"Really."

"Well my advisors do, and I listen to them. Sometimes."

"That's better. Now go get ready."

Sokka waited outside Zuko's bedroom for twenty minutes before he was ready, which was not surprising, in hindsight—when he wasn't given a time limit, Zuko tended to obsess over everything and take four times as long as he should. 

_ "Finally."  _ Sokka said as the door opened, turning to see Zuko looking… _ well.  _ Sokka didn't think there were  _ words  _ for how good Zuko looked. Sure, he was  _ attractive  _ in his Fire Lord robes, but Sokka could control himself. But in 'everyday' clothes, with his hair falling in a soft sheet, he looked…soft. Warm. Like the core of his being. He looked like the Zuko that gave Sokka nicknames when he was tired, and gave all his food to the turtle ducks because they looked at him, and fought viciously against his advisors to give everyone who suffered from the war as much as he could spare. It showed the  _ real  _ Zuko; stupidly brave, unendingly loyal and the man that Sokka was very much in love with.

Perhaps going into public hadn't been the best idea. 

"Sorry for taking so long. You ready?"

Sokka peeled his jaw off the floor and nodded. "Yep. Ready. Definitely."

Zuko smiled bemusedly at him and walked out, leaving Sokka helpless to do anything but follow. 

Once Sokka got used to domestic Zuko, he found himself enjoying the day more than he ever thought he could. Sure, he enjoyed shopping—the joy of finding something, buying it, using it three times and immediately moving onto the next shiny thing he'd bought. But shopping with Zuko was a whole other experience.

Not only did he get to see all of the wonderful items at the stalls and shops, he got to see  _ Zuko _ —his real favourite hobby. He spent most of the day looking exceptionally smug; mostly when he not–so–succinctly bought everything Sokka looked at for more than three seconds. For someone so good at sneaking around (or not—Sokka had caught him leaving his window as the Blue Spirit  _ twice, _ but Zuko insisted he got away with it most of the time. Mostly when Sokka wasn't around), subtlety really wasn't his strong point. 

"Do you want to get something to eat?" Sokka asked as they wandered through some streets. They must have walked for miles—the Palace looked so small, from this distance. So powerless, against the expanse of the City. In front of them, tightly packed city streets gave way to country paths, and rolling, green hills, dotted with red flowers. 

Zuko's mouth tightened as he glanced sideways into a restaurant. It was packed, which Sokka knew made Zuko uncomfortable—it made Sokka uncomfortable, too, considering the amount of opportunities people would have to slip a blade between Zuko's ribs.

"We could grab something from the stalls, if you wanted?" Zuko replied. 

Sokka grinned. "That works."

Zuko stood a metre behind Sokka as he perused the stalls, walking up and down to try and narrow the choices. But how could he? There were so  _ many! _ He could get fried sea prunes on a stick, or Earth Kingdom pork dumplings, or spicy noodles, or prawn–shrimp fried rice, or—

Zuko sighed loudly behind him. "Do you want  _ me  _ to choose?"

Sokka scanned the stalls again—no matter how long he looked, the decision just became harder. 

"Yes please."

Zuko snorted and grabbed a few things from each stall, placing them in the intricately–woven bamboo basket he'd bought. 

(Sokka had just been analysing the patterns, trying to figure out where it came from—the waves looked like water tribe design, but they didn't have bamboo at either pole! He'd decided on swamp benders when he'd spotted Zuko watching him. It was a  _ very _ pretty basket, though.)

Zuko grabbed Sokka's arm once he'd paid, and dragged him through an alleyway to a winding, _uphill,_ stone path.

"Do we really—have to—go all the—way up?" Sokka panted as, for a third time, they reached a ridge that _looked_ like the top, but only showed that they were less than halfway.

Zuko looked back at him with a flat expression. "Can't handle a little climb?"

_ Oh, that'll do it. _

Sokka sprinted to Zuko, grabbing the handle of the basket and dragging it—and Zuko, who refused to let go—with him. The rest of the climb passed in a blur, filled with wildflowers that glowed like jewels under the sunlight and the sound of Zuko's bright laughter.

They quickly reached the apex of the hill, a grassy plateau dotted with fire lilies, and immediately collapsed, still wheezing. 

"I can't believe you made me do that," Sokka said. 

"I didn't  _ make _ you do that."

"You basically did."

Zuko hummed, staring at the sky. 

"Festival preparations must really be getting to you, if you're agreeing with me."

Zuko sighed, closing his eyes. "They are. I know this is technically the second one since the War, but we've had a full year of peace at this point—everyone's expecting big things. And everyone has their own opinion, and then they take it  _ personally  _ if I disagree, and—" Zuko groaned and covered his face, before sitting up. "Come on. We are eating, not talking about  _ work." _

"Now  _ that _ is something I can get behind." Sokka grabbed the basket that had been discarded a few metres away, and opened it, inhaling deeply as the aromas wafted out. Zuko must have somehow kept the food warm with his firebending, because the fried sea prunes tasted as fresh as they would have directly from the stall. 

Zuko sat right next to him, much closer than he usually would. Sokka could feel the tips of his hair brushing his arm as he picked at the food. 

They ate in silence, watching the view. Well,  _ Zuko  _ watched the view—Sokka kept stealing sideways glances at Zuko. Sure, the countryside was beautiful—but nothing could be more so than him. 

Once he'd finished eating, Sokka picked a fire lily from beside him and twirled it between his fingers, watching the colours blur together. Should he say something? Do something? Just enjoy the moment?

His hands decided for him, tucking the stem behind Zuko's scarred ear. 

"What was that for?" 

Sokka shrugged and felt a blush spread across his face. "Just because."

Zuko rubbed the petals, looking at him with an unreadable expression. "Thank you. For today and…for everything else. I really don't say it enough."

"You don't  _ need _ to say it, you know."

"I should, though." 

Slowly, Zuko leant into Sokka, and then lifted his arm until it was wrapped around Sokka's waist.

"Is this okay?" Zuko asked. 

Sokka looked at him bemusedly. "You really don't know?"

"Know…what?"

"Zuko. You  _ don't know." _

_ "What?" _

Sokka snorted. "Yes, this is okay."

"Is—is that all I don't know."

"You'll know one day, Sunshine."

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! <3
> 
> my [tumblr](https://zukkastribe.tumblr.com/) :)


End file.
